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assuming i dont want to be talked out of a fixie the interest is in how to go about getting one

Perhaps the greatest service this or any other forum could offer would be to talk you out of riding a fixie. If you're thinking about brakeless fixie then a full blown intervention might be called for.

As with all things bike-related I defer to BikeSnob NYC for guidance. His commentary on the spec. sheet of the Republic bike:- If you're wondering why the bike's so cheap, it's because it's, well, made out of really cheap stuff.

However if your mind is made up.... converting a geared bike to fixed is a pain - the driveline just won't line up that easily. If you really want to do this and wish to know what you need then take the bike to a good bikeshop and tell them what your plans are. Put some business their way by means of payment.

jeez mike - not to devalue the content or your advice, but you really read such stuff? looks more like a troll trainer website. good it is a blog. imagine that guy using his ballistic writing style in a forum!!

jeez mike - not to devalue the content or your advice, but you really read such stuff?

Oh yes. Whilst much of it is pure snark he does slip in some good stuff. Taking most of it seriously might be ill judged though . But he does know his bikes and he nails the Republic bike's parts list - there's more cheap in there than a budgie farm.

jeez mike - not to devalue the content or your advice, but you really read such stuff?

Oh yes. Whilst much of it is pure snark he does slip in some good stuff. Taking most of it seriously might be ill judged though . But he does know his bikes and he nails the Republic bike's parts list - there's more cheap in there than a budgie farm.

thanks again all for the info - decided on flight home that if he wants a fixie he can build it himself and suffer the consequences if it doesent work out or gets too scary

so the thread started with one idea and the whole thing mutated into something more sensible

when i got back he and i spent the afternoon working out what was wrong with his existing bike (jeez, what a shame how some of the stuff is broken by clear abuse rather than accidents or wear), making a list, going shopping and then doing the work ourselves

new grips, brake levers salvaged from old bike, new front wheel, new inner tube, new brake pads and cables all round. lube and adjust of everything. took the cables off along with the gear change levers, removed the mashed front changer and left the rear floating. to change gear he has to stop and gets his hands dirty - is not a fixie or single speed. if he wants to enjoy remote control gear changing we can install the parts but he needs to know the value of them so they dont get mashed

whatever, we had a blast doing the work and his face was a picture when he arrived back from the test ride

I've only just seen this thread, so this advice is too late really, but as no-one has mentioned this, I'll go ahead anyway.

A while back I was in the position of having an old bike with the gears all out of kilter, and without the time to fix it, and subsequently maintain it.

I decided to replace it, but to replace it with something that would require little or no maintenance to kkep it going. So I replaced it with a bike with a hub gear system, rather than another bike with derailleur gears.

I now have a bike that only has 8 speeds, but they cover a wide enough range for my needs. All the gears are sealed in the back hub, the bike has a single front sprocket and a single rear sprocket. So far, the only maintenance I have had to do is to occasionally adjust the chain tension as the chain slowly stretches/wears over time. The gear changing has so far not missed a beat with zero maintenance in over 12 months.

... I now have a bike that only has 8 speeds, but they cover a wide enough range for my needs ...

18,21,24 speeds, there is a lot of overlap on those and frankly past those racing or training how many riders use more then 8 of those gears? If you have a low enough gear to get you over the hills you may have and to let you stretch it out going down the back side it's good. I've been looking at those multi gear hubs with intrest, I don't get on the road bikes anymore but still enjoy a bit of Mt Biking. How is the low range on them, can I get close to a 1 to 1 ratio? Truthfully I could go with a pretty small front chainwheel anyway since it's just some casual single tracking and rock hopping that I do, I really don't need a top end since I'd rather enjoy the scenery.

Logged

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see" John W Lennon

"People do not quit playing because they grow old, they grow old because they quit playing" George Bernard Shaw

One of the ways they describe the gear ratios in the hub gear is as a multiplier to whatever ratio you have with the selected front and rear cogs - for example, the Shimao Alfine hub I have has the following multipliers:

They don't use "gear inches" anymore when talking about gearing? The tire size had to be considered also as it refered to the distance travelled with one crank revolution. I remember high gear was usually around 100-102 inches.

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